Hello again from Utrecht!! I can’t believe it’s already the 22nd of September. Time is flying by!! I am starting to feel a bit more settled into life here with my schedule somewhat normalizing and getting used to the weekly routine.

The weather has been beautifully sunny for the last week or so and I’ve been trying to be out and about as much as possible to take advantage of the days without rain. One thing has changed with the weather–the temperature. It tops out around 18 or 19 degrees during the day (mid-60s), which is quite nice. However, the evenings drop between 3 and 10 (38-50) and without our furnaces being able to be turned on quite yet, this makes for some really chilly sleep! It’s quite the adjustment with the weather, but overall, I really like its mildness. I’m sure my mind will change when faced with having to bike to class in the constant 40s and 50s, especially when rain is reintroduced to the forecast…but that’s a story for another post

An update with the bike accident I told you about last time: The day it happened, I thought I was so fortunate to be able to walk away without any injury. However, upon trying to go for a jog a few days later, my knee became swollen and sore. Bad news!! Especially bad news when a) there are a million things that can go wrong with a knee and b) I live in a foreign country where I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about how the health care system works for foreigners. So, in a quest to be educated about the Dutch system and to go figure out what might be wrong with my knee, I set off to a neighborhood doctor who kindly referred me to an orthopedist. I saw the latter today and 300 euros later (which should be reimbursed from the insurance company in the US but you just never know), I found out that she thinks there’s nothing wrong with the ligaments and there is no sign of bone damage (from x-rays taken today).

She sent me to a physical therapist who will be in charge of giving me the green light for jogging and perhaps playing soccer again. I see the orthopedist again in six weeks. I have to call to make an appointment with the physical therapist but I’ll do that tomorrow. A long story short–it seems like there’s nothing major wrong with me and again I feel very fortunate because anytime a biker meets a car, there can be really unlucky results for the biker…

I miss playing soccer because of my injury. I went and watched our team play on Saturday and just wished I could be on the field helping the team out. We have a great group of girls and we’re starting to look better and better on the field. We also have plans for saturday after our next game to have dinner and to go out as a team for “bonding” purposes. I am really looking forward to it!

As the title of the post suggests, we still have no internet at our house. It was supposed to arrive last Monday but alas, no dice. The only place I can check the status on the website says “in process” . . . No kidding?! It’s been 3.5 weeks since I ordered the service and we’re still waiting on the modem. Another lesson in patience. At least I’m learning…

So, for now internet is reserved only for when I am not too lazy to bike into town and check it either at the Janskerkhof or the Law Library if it’s open. I’m writing now from the law library. It’s a really nice facility at which to do my research for the program, homework, and general internet tomfoolery. I’m glancing out the window from where I sit and I see the quintessential Dutch gables of the building next door against a backdrop of a Utrecht sunset. I feel really lucky to be here doing this project and though I’ve been here approaching two months, I still am in awe at what a beautiful place the Netherlands is.

The language is coming along slowly but surely. I now know why people say to move to a country that speaks the language you’re trying to learn is the best way. Immersion is just that–being immersed at all times with the language. TV shows in English are all subtitled in Dutch, which makes it really nice to try to figure out the syntax and grammar (and vocab). Yesterday Clara and I finally made it to the Call of the Wild, also subtitled in Dutch. It was a good movie, as a side note. As I said before, all my soccer practices, games, e-mails, and meetings are in Dutch and I am trying really hard to start speaking it more (even though I’m still very self-conscious of my ability). It is really good to know that despite only being here a short time I am picking up the basics well.

I better get going back home for dinner and some reading. I’ll be back at the law library tomorrow morning to continue my research project. I’ll write another post about that soon after I make some more progress. I really hope everyone back home is doing well and getting settled into school/work or continuing to enjoy their jobs and lives. I really do miss all of you but feel at home here. Send me an e-mail if you get the chance. I also really love reading all the comments!!

Tot ziens!

Hello, again! I’m glad you’re still following the blog. It’s been another busy week but another fun one. I guess I can try to break it down by days (as I remember them–it’s all kind of a blur as it’s going by so quickly!).

Monday, I had class and then did some grocery shopping and errand-running with my Spanish friend Deborah. She and I have become good friends during the summerschool. It also helps that she lives right next door! I think later in the semester I’m going to try to visit her in Madrid, where she lives and goes to medical school. Anyway, Monday evening, we had the opportunity to see the movie Simon, a Dutch film that highlights the tolerance and progressive aspects of Dutch (specifically Amsterdam) culture. It is a movie about how friendship can be tested when faced with mortality. I recommend it to anyone–it’s in Dutch but has English subtitles. The Monday Night Movies are a part of the summerschool program here, provided by the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and allow a look into cultural aspects as well as another opportunity to be exposed to learning the language.

My Spanish Friend, Deborah

The ESN program has been really well-organized and provides a lot of opportunities for international students to get to know the city better and meet people from all over the world. Using this as a segue, you should also know that ESN also puts on International Drink Night on Tuesdays at Cafe ‘t Weeshuis. Last summer, it was held at Club Storm, but sadly the Storm has run into some sort of shady financial trouble, so ‘t Weeshuis it now is. ‘t Weeshuis is a cafe/bar near the Dom Tower where there are cheap beers, nice bartenders, and lots of fun to be had until the wee hours of the morning. Last week, I was there until it was light outside again! A good time, indeed. Not sure why they chose Tuesday night for this event, as most summerschool students don’t have class on Fridays and Thursday would have been a more logical choice, but as they say, when in Rome . . . ha ha!

Girls Night Out

This past week a lot of incoming students arrived at Utrecht so there were also many activities going on for them. I will confess that all of these 17- and 18-year-old students made me feel a little bit old! However, there are plenty of people (masters students, mostly) around my age, so it’s not a problem most of the time. Because of the incoming students, there was another event Wednesday night: an International Party at Club Poema. Given my Tuesday night (slash Wednesday morning) lack of sleep, I was unable to stay too late at Poema to get rowdy yet again. That and it was pouring rain and about 10 degrees outside (50 degrees fahrenheit), so my bed sounded better than more beer and catching a cold.

The ESN activities don’t all revolve around drinking and partying (evidenced also by the movie night). Thursday night was one of my favorite activities so far: Night Canoeing! We went with a group of about 40 students and some of the ESN leaders. Each canoe held two people and I went with Deborah. It took us a while to get our rhythm down, but ultimately, we had a nice system rowing through the canals. Though it was also a chilly night, there was no rain, the stars and full moon were out, and it was a blast. We started around 8:00 (it gets dark here around 10 or 10:30) and paddled down the Oudegracht into the city center. We did stop to have a drink (also at ‘t Weeshuis) about 45 minutes into our journey but then got back into the boats to continue on.

Sergio, Sissi, Me, and Deborah before canoeing

By about 10:00, the canals were serene, the bridges were illuminated, and the city looked amazing from our vantage point in the water. There were times while on the canal where it was so dark we couldn’t see much of anything and near the end of the trip we had to pass under a series of three very low bridges. When I say low, I mean really, really low. We had to lie back in our boats, put our paddles inside, and essentially use our hands on the bridge above to move ourselves to the other side. Some of the girls in our group were allegedly claustrophobic and refused to go under . . . so, they had to get out of the water and carry their boat across the highway! We finished right around midnight and we were mostly soaked, very exhausted and cold from all the paddling, but very glad we did it. Two of our friends, Deep and Fahed, managed to tip their boat at some point in the evening, so I’m sure they were much colder than we were! All in all, it was a really nice excursion around Utrecht.

Friday was yet another ESN activity. We don’t have class Fridays, so we got to go to the Kröller-Müller museum. This is situated in a Dutch national park, the Hoge Veluwe. The museum houses many important works of art, namely by Vincent van Gogh and other prominent painters, as well as many sculptures in a garden surrounding the museum. After visiting the museum, we hopped on our white bikes (provided free from the national park) to go on a 2 hour bike tour through the park.

Me, Sissi, Clara, and Deborah before biking through the park

One of van Gogh's first paintings of sunflowers

One of the sculptures inside the park's gardens.

Given the size of the Netherlands and how crowded most of it seems, this park was extraordinary. I read that it contains roughly 220 square miles of land inside the park for preservation. It also had some interesting landscapes that I was not expecting. Prior to visiting Hoge Veluwe, I had only known the Netherlands to be green farming spaces (what’s mostly visible from riding the trains) or cities. Here, there were many different kinds of landscape, including sand dunes, heathland, and forest. It was really nice.

Vast expanses of landscape in Hoge Veluwe

Trees in the Hoge Veluwe

Sand dunes?! In the Netherlands?! Yes!

Me in front of a nice lake in Hoge Veluwe

Right by the lake, this was the castle-like place we stopped to rest.

When we returned Friday night, I had a nice dinner with Sissi, Sergio, (both from Portugal) and Deborah at a nice little restaurant close to the Dom called the 3 Vrienden (3 friends). It was a nice menu and a good dinner. We then had a couple of beers at one of our main places to meet, Café Flater, and then called it a night.

Saturday I had the day to myself. I slept in, went for a long run, and ended up wandering around the center and the markets before catching Sex and The City (finally) at a bioscoop (movie theatre) close to the center. I really enjoyed the movie but discovered a curious thing about the Dutch and films. About 2/3 of the way through the movie, they took a pauze (yes, pause) as a sort of intermission. It lasted about 15 minutes I suppose for people to go to the restroom, get more snacks, and stretch. I found it a bit odd, but it was also kind of considerate. Very pragmatic; typische Nederlands. The movie was rather long (2 hours, 28 minutes), so the pauze was kind of nice.

Going to the movie was very expensive, however, so I don’t know that I’ll be making it much of a habit. It was €8,50 so even at the most favorable exchange rate I’ve seen in quite some time ($1.46 to €1), it was about $12.50 to catch the flick. I have tried to stop thinking about the exchange rate, but sometimes it catches me, like this time! I miss the $1.50 theater in Topeka on days like yesterday! I really liked the movie, so all in all it was worth it.

Today I started off with a 5K run, and posted my best time yet. I’ve been running most everyday and in addition to the bicycling and walking around the city, I’ve lost some considerable weight (despite my consumption of beer, cheese, and bread). The lifestyle here is so much more active compared to home and for that I’m thankful. I hope that when school starts in September I can join a women’s soccer team and train a couple of times a week with that. There are so many activities to do here and it’s a really great place to be living. It’s starting to feel like “home” but I do have to move again at the end of the month when I start my research program and law class.

I better get going . . . I hope to post later today about my adventures learning the Dutch language. Thanks for reading all of this. Sorry not to update more often. With the pace of the summerschool course and all the associated activities, I don’t really have time during the week to write. I hope you’re all doing well! Tot ziens!

PS: Megan, I tried the vla. It is erg goed! Thanks for the tip!!!

PPS: Don’t forget to check the Flickr photo page for the latest and greatest!

Hi, everyone! My people are asking for details and I can only give a few right now; things are so busy settling into a new city!

Chris and I had a very fun time in Amsterdam and I’m so glad he got to visit. I really enjoyed hanging out with him in NL. He has made it back safely to Nashville but I know he’s probably ready to return to South Africa!

As of Saturday, I’ve been busy moving from Amsterdam to Utrecht and from a hotel to an apartment. It’s been really great, but I haven’t really had a chance to reflect on anything b/c it’s been so busy! My roommates are great–one from Portugal, one from Spain, and one from Pittsburgh, PA. They all follow the Dutch Language Course as well and our apartment is in an area with lots of international students. I will post more details later.

Today I had had enough traipsing around winding streets for six days in a row (and my feet were pretty much threatening to fall off), so I bought a bike this morning. It is a great bike and I will post a picture of it later. It’s pink and it’s old, but it’s so perfect. It is my favorite way of integrating into Dutch culture so far. Speaking of integrating into Dutch culture, we had our first class this morning. It was good overall. I’m going to have to study hard, but I’m really excited about learning the language, so it’ll be fun to study. It is also helpful that my roommates are all following the same course so we can practice with one another. After only one class, I was already ordering food and talking to our ober (waiter) in Dutch! Not bad, I’d say . . .  I definitely still have a long way to go!

Anyway, so I’m settling in here. It’s been a whirlwind of the last six days; that’s for sure! I need to go grab some groceries with my Portuguese roommate, Sissi (pronounced: C C) before the summerschool night activities begin. Tonight there is a free Dutch film and I believe a soccer tournament tomorrow! I also have to find some time to study and work on other commitments!

Again, I will post more pics and details later, but I’m trying to give the people what they want right now!

Tot straks!

Hi! Glad you stopped by the blog. I hope to keep it somewhat regularly updated as I embark on another Dutch study abroad program. This time, I’ll be back in Utrecht but for seven months instead of six weeks. I am really looking forward to the adventure as it will be a new start for me in many ways. I will end up graduating law school in December of this year and I hope to then find an internship or work until next September when I plan to start an LL.M. in human rights or public international law. I will keep you posted on those details, however, as December draws nearer.

The program I’m involved with this semester, EuroScholars, is a relatively new thing and I will be the first American Law Student to participate. My school, Washburn University School of Law, has posted a news story about my participation. I was thrilled to see this article, despite the fact that the picture is less than stellar-ha!

Before I ship off to Europe, I will spend a week or so with my parents at their new home in Columbus, Ohio. I am really looking forward to hanging out with them before I leave. I suppose I got a bit spoiled when they were just across town instead of across 3.5 states. I hear there are good shopping locations and nice bike trails near their neighborhood, so it should be a welcome break from what’s been a very hectic summer.

I will leave 28 July for the Netherlands and before my A2 Dutch course starts on 4 August, I will spend a few days with my brother, Chris, in Amsterdam. He has spent the summer near Cape Town, South Africa jump-starting a music academy for talented students in the area. You should check out his blog if you want to know more. He’s really done an amazing job in the three months he’s been there.

I am really looking forward to heading to the Netherlands for this project. My language course runs through the month of August and then I’ll start the research project while taking a comparative methodology course at the University of Utrecht Law School. After the methodology course, I will focus solely on research and writing about child maintenance schemes in the U.S. and NL. My efforts will ultimately culminate in a co-authored article with my supervising professor, Dr. Ian Curry-Sumner, in the Utrecht Law Review. I will also give two presentations to groups of law faculty at Utrecht. The whole experience should be amazing, but I am a bit nervous at the outset as I don’t know exactly what to expect. I guess that’s all part of the adventure .  .  .

I did find out this week that after a bit of a rocky start, the housing situation seems to be all settled, and I have a place to stay on the Cromwijcklaan in Utrecht. I’m starting to get really excited!

So, finishing up the packing is the last part of the to-do list. Now if I could only whittle down the shoe selection to fit into United Airline’s suitcase guidelines . . .

Tot ziens!